News & Features

In response to the multiple disasters experienced in Asia, the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) proposed the creation of Sentinel Asia in 2005. Sentinel Asia is an international collaboration of space agencies and disaster management agencies, providing disaster management support in the...

Last 25-26 March 2015, Ms. Ma. Flordeliza P. Del Castillo of the Geomatics for Environment and Development program attended the Practical Application of the Earth Remote Sensing Technologies to Solve Social and Economic Challenges Workshop held in Moscow, Russia. This workshop delivered lectures...

Metro Weather is a public-private partnership among the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Chevron, (and currently) Caltex, the Manila Observatory, Globe Telecom, and the Ateneo de Manila University that started in 2013. It establishes a network of low-cost automated weather stations (AWS) in...

Funded through the Department of Science and Technology-PCASTRD grant (2008-present), the Differential Optical Absorption Spectrometer (DOAS) an instrument under development with the Air Quality Dynamics group. DOAS is used for measuring air pollution concentration. DOAS transmits ultraviolet light through the atmosphere, with the...

The Southeast Asia Regional Climate Downscaling/Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment South East Asia (SEACLID/CORDEX South East Asia) project started in 2012 and evolved from a bottom-up initiative of a group of scientists from five countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines). Currently,...

Dr. Quirino Sugon of the Upper Atmosphere Dynamics program participated in the Workshop on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Data Application to Low Lattitude Ionospheric Research in Trieste, Italy from 6 – 17 May 2013. The workshop was organized by the International Center...

Started in March 2014 and ending on February 2016, Dr. James Simpas, Head of the AQD, designed a locally-made sampler for particulate pollution. The pneumatics portion of the project are being fabricated and will be tested on the following year. This sampler is...

Since 2003, the Air Quality Dynamics program of the Manila Observatory has been monitoring fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during New Year’s Eve over multiple sites in Metro Manila. PM2.5 refers to particles with diameters of 2.5 microns or smaller. The particles, which can...

A. What is Sidereal Time? In his book, Light Cavalry, Fr. Horacio de la Costa, SJ described Manila Observatory’s time-keeping service in the 1930’s–a service which dates even before the year 1900: The government supplies the Observatory with personnel, equipment, and special telegraphic...

QUICK SUMMARY Tropical cyclone track and intensity Hagupit moves towards the vicinity of Marinduque, Batangas and Oriental Mindoro (consensus in multi-agency forecast tracks). There are differences in the model forecast on when Hagupit will exit land into the West Philippine Sea. Weakening in...

In the wake of last year’s Typhoon Haiyan which devastated the Philippines, a forum entitled “Readiness and Resilience: Lessons Learned One Year After Typhoon Haiyan” was held last 20 November 2014 to discuss lessons learned and ways to address disaster preparedness and build...

The partial eclipse (at moonrise) and the start of the total eclipse was not visible because of the hazy horizon and low clouds. Into the middle of the total eclipse (around 6:45PM), something was peeping out of the thick clouds, which we thought...

The proliferation of public and private sector initiatives and activities – shows that there is increased attention being given to building disaster and climate resilience in the Philippines. The private sector, in particular, has become increasingly involved in initiatives to make businesses more...

From their vantage point at Manila Observatory, scientists have monitored changes in temperature and rainfall that have altered life in the Philippines. But they also have watched changes due to human actions—land-use, building, and development decisions that have made people more vulnerable to...

Filipino scientist Dr. Faye Cruz of the Regional Climate Systems Research Program of the Manila Observatory won best poster award at the recent International Conference on Regional Climate (CORDEX 2013) held in Brussels, Belgium. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the European...

In August 2012, Metro Manila and its environs experienced the effect of an enhanced Southwest monsoon season (locally known as habagat) which brought continuous heavy rains over a few days. Many called the disaster a “disaster with no name” as there was no associated tropical cyclone activity that was responsible...

There are three Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) stations deployed in the Philippines. Manila Observatory hosts the one in Quezon City, El Nido Airport houses the station in El Nido, and Notre Dame of Marbel University maintains the unit in Koronadal City. The data...

A toolkit for Local Government Units, “Alternative Pathways to Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction” was launched in 2012. The toolkit consists of a 12-step process for local governments to mainstream climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (CCA-DRR). It includes methods...

Scientists from the Manila Observatory helped train local government units and communities in the science and framework behind disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (DRR-CCA). The trainings took place in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte and at the Climate Change Academy in...

Air quality monitoring around Metro Manila in (1) National Printing Ofﬁce along EDSA, (2) Philippine General Hospital along Taft Avenue, and (3) Metro Manila Development Authority Tapayan Pumping Station in Taytay, Rizal began in December 2012, as part of the 1 year monitoring ...